Overview
The Loyalists were an important part of the American Revolution. While estimates vary, there were many Americans who chose to remain loyal to King George III and Great Britain. Many of these people were armed by the British and fought against the Rebels along side British and Hessian soldiers. Loyalist played crucial roles in scouting Rebel postions, guiding British forces through uncertain terrain and raiding Rebel strongpoints and supply depots.
There were no natural concentrations of Loyalists. However, loyalists flocked to these cities after the British captured New York City, Charleston, and Savannah. At the War’s end, most Loyalists left with the British. Many resettled in Canada, the Bahamas, West Indies, and Britain. Generally, most Loyalists were worse off after the Revolution and never regained pre-war wealth and social standing.
Sometimes overlooked, many of the Loyalists were African Americans. Many ex-slaves came over the British lines seeking their liberty. The British transported many of these Loyalists to Canada and other locations. Considerable modern research has been conducted to highlight the contributions of African Americans to the British and Rebel war efforts.
In addition, many Native Americans also regarded themselves as Loyalists and fought against the Rebels. One of the most successful Native American leaders was Joseph Brant (Thayendanegea) who led both American and British forces in contesting control of western New York. After the Revolution, Brant moved with his followers to southern Ontario onto lands granted to them by the British government. Today’s Brantford, Ontario is named after him.
Diaries and Memoirs
Boucher, Jonathan, ed. Reminiscences of an American Loyalist. Boston and New York: Houghton Mifflin Company, 1925.
James Moody, Narrative of the Exertions and Sufferings of Lieut. James Moody, in the Cause of Government since the Year 1776, Written by Himself . New York: Charles Bushnell, 1865.
Operating in New Jersey, James Moody is one of the most celebrated Loyalist military officer, scout, and spy. He penned a captivating diary. For an overview of his life see CONTINGENCIES, CAPTURE, AND SPECTACULAR GETAWAY: THE IMPRISONMENT AND ESCAPE OF JAMES MOODY by Kevin A. Conn.
Other Primary Sources
Secondary Sources
Allen, Thomas B. Tories: Fighting for the King in America’s First Civil War. New York: Harper-Collins, 2010.
Brooking, Greg. From Empire to Revolution: Sir James Wright and the Price of Loyalty in Georgia. Athens: The University of Georgia Press, 2024.
Brown, Wallace. The Good Americans: The Loyalists in the American Revolution. New York: William Morrow and Company, Inc., 1969.
Callahan, North. Royal Raiders: The Tories of the American Revolution. Indianapolis: The Bobbs-Merrill Company, Inc., 1963.
Chandler, Abby. Seized with the Temper of the Times: Identity and Rebellion in Pre-Revolutionary America. Yardley, PA: Westholme Publishing, 2023.
- Journal of the American Revolution Book Review – https://allthingsliberty.com/2024/03/seized-with-the-temper-of-the-times-identity-and-rebellion-in-pre-revolutionary-america/
- Researching the American Revolution Book Review – 2023 American Revolution Scholarship in Review.
Compeau, Timothy. Dishonored Americans: The Political Death of Loyalists in Revolutionary America. Charlottesville: University of Virginia Press, 2023.
For a review of Compeau’s book, see the Journal of the American Revolution book review.
Cruikshank, E. A, and Gavin K Watt. The King’s Royal Regiment of New York. Toronto: G.K. Watt, 1984.
Gara, Donald J. The Queen’s American Rangers, 2015.
Contrary to popular belief, significant fighting in the American Revolution took place between rebel and loyalist Americans. Donald Gara superbly demonstrates this in his chronicle of one of the most effective loyalist military regiments, The Queen’s American Rangers. For the rest of the review, click link below.
Jasanoff, Maya. Liberty’s Exiles: American Loyalists in the Revolutionary World. 1st ed. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 2011.
Jones, Brad A. Resisting Independence: Popular Loyalism in the Revolutionary British Atlantic. Ithaca, [New York]: Cornell University Press, 2021.
Minty, Christopher F. Unfriendly to Liberty: Loyalist Networks and the Coming of the American Revolution in New York City. Ithaca [New York]: Cornell University Press, 2023.
Kierner, Cynthia A. The Tory’s Wife: A Woman and Her Family in Revolutionary America. The Revolutionary Age. Charlottesville: University of Virginia Press, 2023.
Professor Kierner recounts the story of Jane Welborn Spurgin, a patriot who welcomed Nathanael Greene into her home while her loyalist husband fought as a Tory officer. Her work demonstrates that loyalties differed even within nuclear families. After the Revolution, Jane Spurgin fought to receive reparations for lost and destroyed properties by petitioning the North Carolina legislature for redress.
- Journal of the American Revolution book review – https://allthingsliberty.com/2023/09/the-torys-wife-a-woman-and-her-family-in-revolutionary-america/
- The Journal of American History – Vol. 111, No. 3, December 2024, 576.
